![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
|||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
|||
![]() |
|
Committee activities (inquiries and reports)Taking Control: a national approach to pest animals
November 2005 Canberra © Commonwealth of Australia 2005 ISBN 0 642 78731 X (printed version) ISBN 0 642 78732 8 (HTML version) Contents
ForewordPest animals are one of the most serious issues currently facing Australian farmers. Wild dogs, feral pigs, foxes, rabbits and many other pest species have a tremendous impact on agricultural industries, both in lost production and control costs. Pest animals also impact on the environment, competing with native species, destroying native plants and causing land degradation. The message from farmers and others in the community in relation to pest animals is clear. If urgent action is not taken to address these problems, the consequences for the economy and the environment will be dire. Pastoralists in areas of the country are already being forced out of sheep by wild dogs – if something is not done to rid the country of this dangerous predator, more and more families will be forced to leave their sheep-farming enterprises. Approaches to managing pest animal problems currently vary across state and territory jurisdictions, making coordinated cross-border control difficult. A recurring theme of this inquiry has been the need for a national approach to the pest animal problem. The committee has addressed this national inequity by recommending the formation of a National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee, comprising state and territory government representatives. The proposed National Committee would be supported by a National Pest Animals Advisory Committee, akin to the recently-formed National Weeds Advisory Group. This would include members of local and community pest animal control groups, conservation and landcare groups, animal welfare organisations, and representatives of agricultural and pastoral industries. The need for research into new and improved pest animal control techniques was also a feature of the inquiry. The committee has recommended that the newly-formed Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre play a role in coordinating research priorities nationally, to ensure that maximum benefit is obtained from the myriad of uncoordinated initiatives occurring around the country. In its report, the committee makes a number of recommendations as to ways of improving pest animal management. These include increased state and territory government expenditure directed at on-ground control and eradication, and better management of pest animal problems on government land. The committee has also recommended that people be able to harvest pest animals as a resource, where there is the potential to do so as part of an overall strategy for controlling pest populations. This inquiry was commenced by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry of the 40 th Parliament. The current committee recognised the need for an inquiry such as this one and continued it into the 41 st Parliament. I would like to express, on behalf of the committee, our thanks to the previous committee for its contribution to this inquiry. In particular, thank you to the previous Chair, Mrs Kay Elson MP, Member for Forde. I would also like to thank the many individuals and organisations who gave evidence in relation to this inquiry. In particular, the committee would like to acknowledge the warm hospitality spontaneously given by farmers and landholders in Tasmania and Western Australia. Their warmth and generosity were greatly appreciated.
Alby Schultz MP Chair Membership of the Committee41st Parliament
40th Parliament
Committee Secretariat
Terms of ReferenceThe House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is to inquire into the impact on agriculture of pest animals particularly:
List of abbreviations
List of recommendations4 National coordinationRecommendation 1The committee recommends that the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council amalgamate the Vertebrate Pests Committee and the Australian Weeds Committee to form one National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee, with representation from Australian Government and state and territory governments in the areas of weeds, vertebrate pests and invertebrate pests. Recommendation 2The committee recommends that the terms of reference for the new National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee refer to ‘pest animals’, including both vertebrate and invertebrate pests. Recommendation 3The committee recommends that the Vertebrate Pests Committee extend the terms of reference for development of a National Pest Animal Strategy to include invertebrate pests. Recommendation 4The committee recommends that the Australian Government negotiate with state and territory governments to agree on a suitable joint funding arrangement to expand the funding available to the Australian Pest Animals and Weeds Committee. Recommendation 5The committee recommends that the Australian Government match the current funding provided by states and territories towards the Australian Weeds Committee Secretariat, to establish a full-time secretariat servicing the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee. Recommendation 6The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee:
Recommendation 7The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee discuss with state and territory representatives ways to improve consistency of pest animal legislation across jurisdictions, where appropriate. Recommendation 8The committee recommends that a Pest Animals Advisory Committee be established to provide advice and assistance to the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee and that it include representatives of agriculture and pastoral industries, conservation bodies, local and state government, industry groups, research organisations, landcare, animal welfare and pest animal management groups. Membership should also include the National Feral Animal Control Program, Animal Health Australia, Australian Wildlife Health Network, Product Integrity/Animal and Plant Health, Plant Health Australia, Biosecurity Australia and the AIA CRC. Recommendation 9The committee recommends that cost-sharing arrangements be included in the National Invasive Species Framework, currently under development, and be extended to:
Recommendation 10The committee recommends that the Australian Government encourage states and territories to appoint a single body responsible for coordinating pest animal management in each jurisdiction. This body would then contribute to a national pest animal effort through membership of the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee and the proposed National Pest Animals Advisory Committee. 5 Prevention and early detection of pest speciesRecommendation 11The committee recommends that the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry:
Recommendation 12The committee recommends that the Australian Government:
Recommendation 13The committee recommends that the Australian Government amend the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989 to allow state and territory governments to inspect interstate mail for quarantine purposes. Recommendation 14The committee recommends that the National Invasive Species Task Group create a ‘List of Invasive Species of National Importance’, including a National Quarantine List, a National Alert List and a National Control List. Recommendation 15The committee recommends that the Australian Government:
Recommendation 16The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee establish a national reporting system for pest animals and consult with the National Information Manager’s Technical Group in relation to possible application of the National Surveillance, Quarantine, Control and Recovery System for this purpose. Recommendation 17The committee recommends that the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry work with state and territory government agencies to examine the port surround monitoring system trialled by Forestry Tasmania with a view to implementing similar systems at strategic port entry sites throughout Australia. Recommendation 18The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee compile a list of sleeper pest species. Recommendation 19The committee recommends that the National Pest Animal Strategy, currently under development, include an eradication protocol to be used where required for early eradication of newly-established pest animal infestations. 6 Methods for controlling pest animalsRecommendation 20The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee work with state and territory governments to ensure that effective measures are available to control species classified as ‘vulnerable’ or ‘threatened’ where they constitute pests. Recommendation 21The committee recommends that the Australian Government, through the Coalition of Australian Governments, encourage states and territories to amend legislation and to find solutions for insurance problems experienced by hunting and shooting organisations where legislation and insurance problems preclude the organisations from assisting landholders with pest control activities. Recommendation 22The committee recommends that the Australian Government:
Recommendation 23The committee recommends that the Australasian Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre:
Recommendation 24The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee:
Recommendation 25The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee ensure that best practice is always followed in relation to the use of trapping to ensure that it is conducted as humanely as possible. Recommendation 26The committee recommends that the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry coordinate with state and territory governments to provide dollar for dollar funding to a special fund to be administered by the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee, to be used solely for the purposes of:
Recommendation 27The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee work with government representatives to agree on appropriate guidelines for the construction and maintenance of exclusion fencing and remove regulatory impediments to land clearing required specifically for fencing for the purposes of pest animal control. Recommendation 28The committee recommends that local governments and declared animal groups in areas requiring pest exclusion or barrier fencing upgrades or construction apply for funding under the Australian Government’s Regional Partnerships Program. Recommendation 29The committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that available tax concessions for landcare operations apply to pastoralists who contribute funds for pest animal exclusion fences. Recommendation 30The committee recommends that the Australian Government provide favourable taxation treatment to fruit farmers purchasing netting to exclude grey-headed flying foxes. Recommendation 31The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee encourage the representative from Western Australia to arrange documentation of the Judas donkey program, so that the program can be considered for implementation with other animals, such as camels, in other states and territories. Recommendation 32The committee recommends that the Australasian Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre:
Recommendation 33The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee investigate how pest animal control programs can be monitored for effectiveness, in particular by the development of standard protocols for estimating pest animal population reduction and overall benefit. Recommendation 34The committee recommends that the National Pest Animal Strategy, currently under development, address the issue of appropriate allocation of funding responsibility amongst stakeholders. Recommendation 35The committee recommends that the Australian Government strongly urge state and territory governments to substantially increase funding for pest animal control, in addition to providing funding for the employment of doggers and pest animal controllers, and that this funding be directed towards on-ground control operations. Recommendation 36The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee liaise with state and territory representatives to determine how joint community and government-funded schemes can be utilised to facilitate pest animal control. Recommendation 37The committee recommends that state and territory representatives of the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee provide annual reports to the Committee indicating their state or territory’s level and breakdown of funding for pest animal issues. Recommendation 38The committee recommends that, in addition to providing funding for the employment of doggers and pest animal controllers, the Australian Government make a significant investment towards on-ground control of wild dogs, feral pigs, rabbits and foxes, to be directed at local, regional and community groups responsible for pest animal control on the basis of established need. 7 Control across tenuresRecommendation 39The committee recommends that the Australian Government:
Recommendation 40The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee:
8 Pests as resourcesRecommendation 41The committee recommends that the Australian Government encourage state and territory governments to remove existing impediments to the commercial utilisation of native pest species, whether those impediments be economic, legal or administrative. Recommendation 42The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals and Weeds Committee:
9 Research and developmentRecommendation 43The committee recommends that the Australian Government:
Recommendation 44The committee recommends that the Australian Government Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry:
Recommendation 45The committee recommends that the Australasian Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre:
Recommendation 46The committee recommends that the Australian Government:
10 Community education and awareness about pest animalsRecommendation 47The committee recommends that the proposed National Pest Animals Advisory Committee:
![]()
| ![]() |